Safety attachment for mouse and rat traps



Jan. 19, 1932.

J. J. REISIGER v SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR MOUSE AND RAT TRAPS Filed June 24, 1951 Patented Jan. 19, 1932 JOHN J. REISIGER, F COVINGTOH', KENTUCKY SAFETY ATTAG HMENT FOR MOUSE AND-RAT TRAIPS Application filed June 24,

The invention relates to mouse and rat traps of the spring jaw type, and particularly to a safety attachment of the type shown and described in my Patent No. 1,477,-

446, dated December 11, 1923, and has for its object the provision of an improved construction of safety attachment to hold the spring jaw to prevent premature closing of it while the trap is being set, and to obvi-- l0 ate the disadvantage that'has been found in the trap of the patent heretofore referred to of the staples being loosened holding the safety attachment so that the attachment would slip off of the base of the trap. This is accomplished by providing a safety attachment that obviates a direct pull on the holding means and making it necessary to entirely remove the holding means before the attachment will become disconnected from the base of the trap.

The invention will be described in detailhereinafter and will be found illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a trap showing the improved safety attachment in place thereon,

Figure 2 is a side view,

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views on planes indicated by the lines 3-3 and H, respectively, and v f a I Figure 5 is a view'in perspective of the safety attachment removed from the trap.

' In) the drawings similar reference characters are 'used to designate corresponding 5 partswin all the views.

The trap as illustrated is-of the ordinary construction comprising a base 1 that isgenerally made of wood and having mounted thereon a spring jaw 2, a trigger piece 3, and a jaw engaging bar 4 that cooperates with the trigger piece 3 to hold the jaw in set position.

The safety attachment comprises'a length of wire of suitable gauge bent intermediate of its ends to provide a U member 5 having itstwo legs 6 and 7 slidably mounted on the base 1 and held in slidable engagement therewith by means of a staple 8, and -aheaded driven member 9,- the staple 8 straddling the two legs 6 and 7, while thedrivenmem- 1931. Serial no. 546,561.

her 9 has its shank engaged between the legs 6 and 7 and serves not only to hold the U-shaped member 5 for 'slidable movement, but also provides a stop to limit the outward movement of the U-shaped member 5 by engaging the bight of 'said'member. Leg 6 has its end turned up as shown at 10 and bent back as shown at 11 to provide a hook to engage the spring aw 2 when in set position as shown in the drawings, the upwardly bent portion 10 providing also a stop to limit the movement of the U-shaped member 5 into jaw engaging position, The free end of the leg 7 is provided with an upturned portion 12 that serves as a finger-hold for adjusting the safety attachment. When the device is in the position shown in the drawings it will be readily apparent that a person setting a trap will encounter no danger of the spring jaw being prematurely snapped and injuring his hand, and after the jaw has been adjusted in set position the safety attachment may be released by moving the hook from engagement with the jaw when the finger-hold 12 is'engaged.

The legs (Sand 7 are furthermore tensioned so that they normally spring outwardly to en gage the staple 8'to prevent casual displacement of the attachment when in latching position with the jaw 2. I

What is claimed ,is a A trap of the character specified, comprising a base, a spring jaw'mounted on the base, a safety catch for said jaw comprising a U-' shaped member having its two legs 'slidable on said base, a staple straddling said U -membar and engaging the base, a headed driven element secured between said legs, said staple and headed element slidably mounting said member and the headed element providing a 90 stop to limit the sliding movement of said member in one direction, a hook on one of said legs and providing a stop by engagement with the staple to limit the movement ofthe member in another direction, and a fingerhold on the other leg of the memberfor adj ustment of the member,

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN J. REISIGER. 

